Snow-melting apparatus.



. PATENTED SEPT. 13, 1904.

H. 0.. DAVIS. SNOW MBLTING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATIOK FILED JAN. 30, '1904.

N0 MODEL.

IA N &

lNVENTOf? WITNESSES.

ATTOHNE S Patented September 13, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY CORNMAN DAVIS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SNOW-IVIELTING APPARATUS- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 770,169, dated September 13, 1904.

Apph ati n fil d January 30,1904. Serial No. 191,258. (No model.)

To rrZZ whom it Worry concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY CoRNMAN DAVIS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Snow-MeltingApparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription. 7

This invention relates to means for removing snow from the streets ofcities or large towns without requiring transportation of the snow anyconsiderable distance, and has for its object to provide novel detailsof construction for a snow-melting apparatus that afford convenientpractical means for the speedy conversion of snow into water during orafter a fall of snow and by provision of similar apparatus atsuitablepoints in streets or in ground areas convenient to streetsenable the fall of snow on a large area of public streets to be removedbefore it obstructs travel and effect such a removal at a moderate cost.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts, as is hereinafter described, anddefined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part ofthis specification,

in which similar characters of reference inclicate corresponding partsin all the figures.

' Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view in part of a walled pit formedin the ground at a suitable point and a side View of the improvedsnow-melting apparatus held in place within the pit, showing theoperative position by full lines and its inoperative adjustment bydotted lines. Fig. 2 is a partly-sectional plan view of the meltingapparatus and the heat-radiator plate of the device broken away toexpose details below it, and Fig. 3' is an enlarged longitudinalsectional view of a steam or gas pipe coupling-joint employed.

The pit 5 is preferably quadrangular and in complete form is deep enoughto insure a proper operation of the device, and it may be here explainedthat any desired number of pits may be employed and respectively locatedat points along streets for the quick transfer of snow from the streetsto the pits, the aggregate number of snow-melting apparatus to beemployed depending upon the extent of public thoroughfares from whichsnow must be expeditiously removed to avoid obstruction of trafficand'travel.

The excavations or pits 5 may berespec tively formed at a convenientside of a street or transversely in the road-bed, or the excavations maybe respectively in vacant lots at suitable points along roads from whichsnow is to be removed.

While the invention is applicable for the removal of snowfall in smalltowns as well as large ones, it is particularly well adapted for servicein large cities, in which the exigencies of business travel of allkindsover many miles of roads orstreets necessitate the removal ofsnowfall from the streets in the shortest possible period of time Thestreets of cities are of course provided with subterranean sewers ofproper area and descent toward their point of discharge to effeet aspeedy conveyance of the sewage to said point.

A sufficient depth is given to the pit 5, which in completed conditionshould tap the wall of a near sewer for the transfer by gravity of waterthat results from melting the snow, as will presently be described.

Near one side of the walled pit 5 a flat platemetal heat-radiator 6 isheld to rock by means of a tubular border-frame 6, that is firmlysecured upon the side edges and the forward edge of the radiatorplate,said frame having straight limbs 6" extended parallel with each other atthe rear edge of the radiator-plate.

A hinge-joint a is formed in each frame extension 6 near the rear edgeof the plate 6, and at a suitable distance from each joint the extendedarms 6 are embedded in the side wall 5 of the pit 5 in the same plane,so that the radiator-plate 6 may be rocked upward to near a horizontalposition or be permitted to hang pendent. I

A burnerframe,that may with advantage be rectangular in contour, isprovided to convey a fuel agent to burners for heating theradiator-plate 6, and, as is indicated in Fig. 2, the burner-frame issomewhat smaller than the border-frame 6, leaving a margin of the radilator-plate 6 projecting exterior of the burnerframe.

Two like pipes 7 7 a are side members of the tubular burner-frame, thesebeing held spaced apart in parallel planes by the front transverse framemember 7 which may be integral with or joined upon the front ends of theside members mentioned, so as to have free communication.

Upon the rear end of one side member of the tubular frame, that in thiscase is the tubular frame member 7, at the right side thereof, an elbowhinge-joint 7 d is secured, that joins the burner-frame with ananchor-bar 7 the latter having a suitable length for an anchoredlocation in the side wall 5 and spaced from an adjacent arm 6", thatanchors a rear portion of the border-frame 6 in the wall 5, as beforeexplained. A hollow hingejoint 7 is secured upon the rear end of theburner-frame member 7 directly opposite the joint 7, and from a memberof the hollow elbow hinge-joint 7 is extended agas-supply pipe 7 whichpasses through the wall 5 and extends to a source of gas under pressureof aqillality adapted for use as a hydrocarbon The joints 7 and 7 havetheir pivot centers opposite each other, thus permitting the burnerframe to receive upward rocking movement simultaneouslywith such amovement of the radiator-plated The side member 7 is sealed at thehinge-joint 7 but is freely fed with gasunder pressure that traversesthe opposite frame member 7 and circulates in the front burner-framemember 7".

At spaced intervals a plurality of transverse feeding-pipes 7 and 7 aresecured by their ends in open communication with the sides of the framemembers 7 and 7. Two of the intermediate burner-pipes are shown; but itis to be understood that the number and length of the several members ofthe burner-frame may be increased to afford any desired extent ofheating area for the plate 6, that may be correspondingly increased inarea.

The burner feed-pipes of the described burner-frame, which are fed undera uniform pressure by gas passing through the main gassupply pipe 7 areeach provided with a plurality of similar burners b, that are suitablyspaced apart and project toward the radiatorplate 6, from which they arespaced a suitable degree.

The burners Z2 may be of the ordinary jet form indicated, or for thecreation of greater heat and effecting greater economy in 'consumptionof gas an equal number of aerohydrocarbon burners, such as the commonBunsen burner, may be substituted for the jet-burners shown.

A comparatively few burners only are shown as projecting from eachgas-supply pipe to receive gas therefrom; but in practice the pipes forfeeding the burners will be so increased in length that many moreburners may be mounted thereon for use.

The side frame members 7 7 of the burner feed-pipes, along with all theother coacting burner feed-pipes which have been described, are locatedin the same plane, and the side members mentioned are each held spacedfrom and parallel with a corresponding side edge portion of theheat-radiator plate 6 by a suitable number of. rock-arms 0. The upperends of the rock-arms c are pivoted upon the lower side of theheat-radiator plate 6 at suitable points, as indicated at 0 in Fig. 1.

Upon the burner-frame side members 7 7 a looped keeper 0 is securedopposite the lower end of a respective rock-arm c, and the keepers, thatare in the form of fiat staples, afford guideways for the lower ends ofthe rock-arms, which are each furnished with a coupling-eye 0 thatloosely embraces a respective guideway or keeper, as indicated in Fig.1.

Below the hinge-joint for each side of the burner-frame which has beendescribed an eyebolt d is inserted into the pit-wall 5, and upon theprojecting eye of each bolt one end of a link-bar e is pivoted, and theother ends of these similar bars, which extend forwardly at the ontersides of the burner-frame side bars 7 7 are pivoted upon lapped ends ofsimilar link-bars e. The link-bars are extended from their pivot-jointson the link-bars 0 toward the lower surfaces of the frame side bars 7 7and are pivoted thereto by their ends 6 At the pivot-joints between theends of the link-bars e and e an arm a is extended outward from eachjoint, so as to project beyond the planes traversed by the side membersof the border-frame on the radiator-plate 6. There may be a pivot shaft0 employed, which extends between the lapped ends of the two sets oflink-bars e e, passing therethrough as pivots for connection of saidlapped ends and also extended to form the arms 6 From the outerends ofthe arms 6 flexible connections g are upwardly extended to a pointnearthe upper edge of the walled pit 5 and are there supported by engagementwith hooks h, so that the chains or the like may be convenientlyreached, and by applied draft strain the previously-pendent burner-frameand radiator-plate may be raised into an inclined position near thepit-opening, as shown by full lines in Fig. 1, and be thus held byengagement of the chains g with the hooks h. The pit 5 may be normallyclosed with a strong cover (not shown) to render the roadbed safe totravel over when the melting apparatus is not in use. 7

Upon commencement of and during a snowfall the streets having theimproved means for melting snow located in or near them may be swepttoward the pits 5 and the snow accumu" lations be melted by theapparatus, to start which the pit-cover is first removed. Then theradiator-plate 6 and the tubular burnerframe are together rocked upwardfar enough to permit the free ignition of the burners I), it beingunderstood that the flow of gas into the burner-frame has been started.As the heat-radiating plate 6 is of thin plate metal, it willbe evidentthat the application to the lower surface of heat thrown off by thelarge number of heat-evolving burners will very quickly render theradiator-plate 6 red-hot. The plate 6 may with advantage have a flange 6formed or secured on the lower or forward transverse edge thereof, asrepresented in Fig. 1.

The position of the inclined radiator-plate 6 near the top of the pit 5permits the free and convenient spreading of snow over the incandescentplate by means of shovels, and as the snow will by contact with thehighlyheated plate be almost instantly converted into water, which willrun from the plate at its side edges, it will be seen that a largevolume of snow may be quickly converted into liquid that will be carriedoff by the sewers.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A snow-melting apparatus, comprising a plate-metalradiator supported to rock on a stationary object, a burner-frame heldtorock on said object below and near to the radiatorplate, means carriedby the burner-frame for supporting said radiator-plate, and meansengaging the burner-frame for its rocking adjustment.

2. A snow-melting apparatus, comprising a plate-metal radiator hingedupon a support at one edge, means for rocking the plate and holding itat a desired incline, a supported tubular burner-frame loosely connectedwith the lower side of the radiator-plate, a hinged connection for theburner-frame with a stable support, said frame being rocked by the meansrocking the radiator-plate, a plurality of burners on the tubular frame,adapted to consume gaseous fuel for heating the radiator-plate, and

means for supplying gaseous fuel to the tubular frame and burnersthereon.

3. The combination with a walled excavation, of a snow-meltingapparatus, comprising a plate-metal radiator, means for hinging theplate at one edge upon a side of the excavation, a burner-frame held torock on the same side of the excavation with the radiator-plate, meansfor rocking the plate and burner-frame together and holding them rockedat a desired incline, a plurality of burners adapted to consume gaseousfuel for heating the radiatorplate, said burners projecting from theupper side of the burner-frame at intervals throughout its extent, andmeans for supplying gaseous fuel to the burner-frame and the burnersthereon.

4E. The combination with a walled pit or excavation, of a snow-meltingapparatus, comprising a plate-metal radiator, a border-frame secured onthree edges thereof and projecting as parallel members past theremaining side edge of said radiator-plate, said members being securedin an upright wall of the pit, a tubular burner-frame formed ofintercommunicating side members and cross members, a hollow hinge-jointon each side member at like ends thereof, a gaseous-fuel-supply pipeconnected with one of said hinge-joints, means to connect and looselyspace the burner-frame and the radiator-plate, means to rock the plateand burner-frame together and hold them at a desired inclination, and aplurality of gaseous-fuel burners distributed over the upper surface ofthe burner-frame and projecting therefrom so as to adapt said burnersfor throwing heat upon the radiator-plate, when fuel-gas is transferredthrough the supplypipe to the burner-frame and burners thereon.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY CORNMAN DAVIS.

Witnesses:

W. H. BALL, HENRY L. WVooDLAND.

